WO2008/110814 describes a vehicle seating arrangement in which a driver's seat is positioned substantially centrally between the near side and off side of a vehicle. Two passenger seats are provided behind the driver's seat, but laterally offset therefrom, to provide a compact 3-seat arrangement.
With such an arrangement it is not appropriate to provide an upper seat belt mounting on a side of a vehicle (such as on the ‘B’ post) as in a conventional 2 or 4 seater car in which the driver's seat is positioned adjacent a side of the car (either the left hand side or right hand side). In a known 3-seat arrangement, the upper seat belt mounting is provided on the cabin roof. This requires the roof to comprise a structural member of sufficient strength to provide a secure mounting capable of withstanding forces applied to the seat belt in the event of a crash and requires the seat belt to extend up to the roof which interrupts the head space and can obstruct vision and movement within the vehicle cabin.
The present invention provides an alternative arrangement which seeks to avoid one or more of the limitations of the prior art.